Sky was gelded one week ago today. He is 2 years old and is deaf. He has really been calm this last week, that is until tonight. It took me at least 30 minutes to catch him. I have never in the two months I have had him seen him act this way. He was really acting crazy running around his pen and bucking. I was persistant until I finally caught him with some treats. I then brushed him and walked him around so he knew that I won that round. He has always been treated kindly and with lots of love and this really hurt my feelings more than anything. Have geldings every gone the other way and turned mean? I really don't know what to think of this behavior and it has me worried. Any advice or suggestions are very appreciated. Thanks.
Gelding question.
- Thread starter Rae
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Is there any way this gelding could of been "clean cut", I'm not sure if that's the correct term, but I know they still have that Stallion attitude even though they are gelded. Also sometimes with mine he (is a gelding also) just has his days were he just doesn't want to be caught or messed with has a lot of attitude about him for that day. Just give him a while it might not be "his day"
, you know
hope this helps,
-Jennie
hope this helps,
-Jennie
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liltnt
Well-Known Member
I could be wrong, but I was told that stallions go thru the terrible twos much like a two year old child. I have gone thru it with dar b and he is mellowing out again now. Its been six months or so. He even went thru a thing where he would try and bite. He didnt do that before he was gelded lol.
He was testing me also to see what he could get away with. And I imagine to get attention.
If I were male and they did that to me.... well today may have been the first day he has really felt good and he didnt want to be bothered with you.
He was testing me also to see what he could get away with. And I imagine to get attention.
If I were male and they did that to me.... well today may have been the first day he has really felt good and he didnt want to be bothered with you.
Do you mean proud cut? I asked my vet about this when she was out because it was a big concern to me. When she was castrating him she showed me what tissue is left that results in this and assured me there was none left. I know that a week is not enough time to see a difference but this behavior tonight really has me upset. This wasn't just not wanting to be caught it was pure craziness. Thanks for the reply.
lyn_j
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[SIZE=14pt]I doubt seriously that his gelding had anything to do with it. Sweet Tart tested me several times this spring... he is also now two..last year even Carbon who is a mare was testing at time. It is the "tweenages" for these guys and they sometimes say the heck with parents![/SIZE]
Lyn
Lyn
I'm sorry,
I didn't relies that it was a week ago, the testosterone is still running threw his body, so I believe so he will calm down with in a couple of months!
best of wishes ,
-Jennie
I didn't relies that it was a week ago, the testosterone is still running threw his body, so I believe so he will calm down with in a couple of months!
best of wishes ,
-Jennie
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I guess I did the right thing by being persistant and staying there until I caught him. Right? I didn't want him to think he had won. He came from a not so good background so I really try to be extra gentle with him. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I should do with him on a daily basis. I try to brush him and put his halter on everyday. He is very headshy so this can be a challenge sometimes. After I work with him for a little while he is turned out from his pen into the main yard. That is our daily routine.
L
littlehorse2
Guest
When I first got my 2 minis last fall my gelding was the same way. I used to leave his halter on all day and night. I used to "mess" with his face and ears until he relized that I wasn't going to hurt him. He wasn't abused or anything like that from the previous owner he just wasn't as people orientated as my filly. Try leaving his halter on all the time fo a while. ALso I know my gelding didn't want to be caught because he was afraid of having the incision cleaned and swat put on it so the flies didn't bother him there. Lots of treats every time he does what you want, not what he wants.
I hope this helps.
Christy
I hope this helps.
Christy
I'm really afraid to leave his halter on all the time. Having a halter on tonight would have done no good what so ever. I couldn't get within 30 feet of him. He has been very good all week for his several times a day fly spraying. He hates water so I have even been keeping him cleaned up with a warm wash cloth. I have been so proud of him this week. Until tonight.
L
littlehorse2
Guest
My vet had told me to use swat because you don't have to reapply it untill the next day. Could he have gotten stung or was he totally out of control after you caught him? Is he in a pasture by himself? If so do you have another mini that he gets along with that you could make his buddy so he's not so afraid?
He was fine after I caught him. Was a little nervous but that is normal for him. He is in a pen by himself. I would really like to get another mini for him but don't think he would get along with one very well. He was around some other horses the day I got him and really acted up towards them. I'll give him a little while to get all those hormones under control and hopefully then I can afford to get him a buddy. I have two goats but he is aggressive towards them too.
Ojai Minis
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Rae,
Sounds like you are doing a great job! I have mares that will test me like this once in a while. Sometimes they just don't want to be caught or maybe something stung him. I find that horses really can do strange things
Did the vet check to really make sure he is deaf?
I definately wounldn't leave a halter on him. How is the halter going to make it easier to catch him if he's running away? And it sounds like this hasn't been an issue, so just more time with him and I'm sure he will be your best buddy soon.
Liz V.
Sounds like you are doing a great job! I have mares that will test me like this once in a while. Sometimes they just don't want to be caught or maybe something stung him. I find that horses really can do strange things
Did the vet check to really make sure he is deaf?
I definately wounldn't leave a halter on him. How is the halter going to make it easier to catch him if he's running away? And it sounds like this hasn't been an issue, so just more time with him and I'm sure he will be your best buddy soon.
Liz V.
midnight star stables
Well-Known Member
littlehorse2 said:
I agree 100% But don"t leave it on all the time! why are you not comfortable?? are your areas for him not safe? please get him some a break free halter
What would happen if you had a fire & needed to grab him fast?!? he would be scared.. i think the worst of thing...
please think about this
Sonya
Well-Known Member
I'm wondering if it's just "he felt good" and was being a stinker. After all, he probably felt pretty crappy after getting gelded and maybe he was just starting to feel alittle better finally after a week and was just sewing his oats. It sounds like you are doing a great job with him. How about the weather?? I didn't see where you are located, but where I am, it has been miserable hot/humid and finally last night it cooled off for the first time in about 3 weeks. I know my horses will really show off and be stinkers when it cools down after a long stretch of hot weather.
I do not like the idea of halter on all the time either, even the break aways. The chance of him hurting himself with a halter on is greater than a chance of a fire and you having to get him quickly.
I do not like the idea of halter on all the time either, even the break aways. The chance of him hurting himself with a halter on is greater than a chance of a fire and you having to get him quickly.
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rabbitsfizz
Well-Known Member
NEVER NEVER NEVER leave a halter on a horse. PLEASE. I am not talking perhaps here I am talking from bitter experience. There is NO such thing as a "safe" area. There is no such thing as "it can't happen" ANYTHING that CAN happen WILL happen. Please, if you feel uncomfortable YOU ARE RIGHT!!! I would rather have a horse to chase, even if it takes me an hour, than come down again to find one of my babies dead of a broken neck. There was NOTHING for her to catch the halter on, she found something!!!!! If there was a fire there is no way a halter would help. You open the door and you drive them out and you pray whilst you are doing it, believe me, I know!!!
Jill
Aspiring Cowgirl
I don't think it has anything to do with being gelded and I don't think what you are describing actual means he was being mean. He was being a 2yo horse
When I think about it, I don't think I own a horse (out of 19) who has not at one time or another played hard to catch. They just do that sometimes, especially when they are young horses.
It may have even "started" because he had a horse fly or something on him...
If it gets to be a problem, where he does not want to be caught, what has worked for me is that as I approach the hard to catch horse, if he/she makes even a twitch like they're going to run, I make them run. I even use a lunge whip. I don't let the horse stop for a bit, then try and approach again saying "woah" low and slow. If it stands still, good, we are done and I halter the horse. If not and there's any indication of not standing still for me to approach, I run the horse again and don't let it stop until I'm ready to give it another chance to stand. If you do this, they learn really fast (one or two times in my experience) to just stand there when you say woah and let you catch them.
The time I had to do this with my Morgan, who had turned "catch me if you can" into a game, it only took 1x and he has not EVER run from me since. But, by the time I was done that first time, his nostrils were flaring and he had STEAM rising off his body!!! Right after that, he had gotten untied when I had tied him to tack him up. He was walking around the barn paddock and I didn't want to say anything because I thought if I opened my mouth to him, I'd start yelling at him (thinking the running him had actually failed and it was SO frustrating to spend 30 minutes chasing a horse to ride it for 15...). I just kept walking to him and he'd slowly trot off about 30 feet then stop until I got close, then trot off again. I wasn't saying a word knowing when I did, I'd loose it. Finally, I just said "ROCKET COME HERE!" and he did!!!!! He had a smug look on his face like "well, why didn't you say that in the first place." He marched right to me. The lady I bought him from swears he's the smartest horse she has ever known and I think it's probably the truth!
When I think about it, I don't think I own a horse (out of 19) who has not at one time or another played hard to catch. They just do that sometimes, especially when they are young horses.
It may have even "started" because he had a horse fly or something on him...
If it gets to be a problem, where he does not want to be caught, what has worked for me is that as I approach the hard to catch horse, if he/she makes even a twitch like they're going to run, I make them run. I even use a lunge whip. I don't let the horse stop for a bit, then try and approach again saying "woah" low and slow. If it stands still, good, we are done and I halter the horse. If not and there's any indication of not standing still for me to approach, I run the horse again and don't let it stop until I'm ready to give it another chance to stand. If you do this, they learn really fast (one or two times in my experience) to just stand there when you say woah and let you catch them.
The time I had to do this with my Morgan, who had turned "catch me if you can" into a game, it only took 1x and he has not EVER run from me since. But, by the time I was done that first time, his nostrils were flaring and he had STEAM rising off his body!!! Right after that, he had gotten untied when I had tied him to tack him up. He was walking around the barn paddock and I didn't want to say anything because I thought if I opened my mouth to him, I'd start yelling at him (thinking the running him had actually failed and it was SO frustrating to spend 30 minutes chasing a horse to ride it for 15...). I just kept walking to him and he'd slowly trot off about 30 feet then stop until I got close, then trot off again. I wasn't saying a word knowing when I did, I'd loose it. Finally, I just said "ROCKET COME HERE!" and he did!!!!! He had a smug look on his face like "well, why didn't you say that in the first place." He marched right to me. The lady I bought him from swears he's the smartest horse she has ever known and I think it's probably the truth!
Minimor
Well-Known Member
The behavior you describe is not "mean", nor is it even anything to do with "stallion behavior" in my view. It certainly isn't worth getting upset over. Heck, the other night our 2 year old filly took a notion to not let me catch her. I don't know what was up with that--she is normally right there in your face, you have to shove her out of the way to get to the other horses, but that night she took one look at me & was GONE. It's been hot and the horses stand around a lot, so I figure that night she just decided she'd stood around enough & decided to rip around like a fool...every night since she's been fine. Any one of our other horses has probably been that way at some point or other, though normally all (with the exception of 1 broodmare--she tries her very best to not be caught) are friendly, easy to catch...
I have done like Jill--when a normally easy to catch horse decides to be a pig & run circles around me rather than let me catch him/her, I will say if you want to run then run--& I get the whip & make 'em work. It doesn't usually take too many rounds of the corral before the horse decides this isn't so much fun and WANTS to be caught.
There's also nothing wrong with walking away for awhile when the horse gets acting like this. Walking away doesn't mean he has 'won' and you have 'lost'. If he's just feeling fresh & decides to act goofy, then let him get it out of his system. Walk away and leave him alone for a bit, let him settle down then go back & try again. I've done this too. Once the horse stops ripping around and settles down, catches his breath, the adrenalin rush recedes, and you go back & he's a different horse, back to 'normal'.
You are right to not leave a halter on him. Horses can get hung up on 'nothing'--people who say their haltered horse is safe in a certain corral would probably be surprised if they realized just how unsafe it really is.
I have done like Jill--when a normally easy to catch horse decides to be a pig & run circles around me rather than let me catch him/her, I will say if you want to run then run--& I get the whip & make 'em work. It doesn't usually take too many rounds of the corral before the horse decides this isn't so much fun and WANTS to be caught.
There's also nothing wrong with walking away for awhile when the horse gets acting like this. Walking away doesn't mean he has 'won' and you have 'lost'. If he's just feeling fresh & decides to act goofy, then let him get it out of his system. Walk away and leave him alone for a bit, let him settle down then go back & try again. I've done this too. Once the horse stops ripping around and settles down, catches his breath, the adrenalin rush recedes, and you go back & he's a different horse, back to 'normal'.
You are right to not leave a halter on him. Horses can get hung up on 'nothing'--people who say their haltered horse is safe in a certain corral would probably be surprised if they realized just how unsafe it really is.
Thank you all for your wonderful replies and suggestions. Sky was back to his normal self this morning and I didn't have a bit of problem catching him. I wouldn't even call it catching him. He comes up to me and I just lay the lead rope on his neck and put the halter on. Since this is my first horse I was just crushed by his behavior and just knew that he would be wild forever. LOL My hubby has someone tell him about a horse that turned terribly aggressive after he was gelded. I told him I didn't believe that but last night I was wondering.
Leaving a halter on him is not an option for me. If he would have had a halter on last night it would have done no good. I couldn't even get close enough to grab it if it was on him. I used to put his halter on when I let him out into the yard for the day but realized that is not a very good idea so I no longer do that. I do catch him every morning and put his halter on first thing. I then work with him for a while on a lead rope. After our little session I remove his halter and turn him loose.
When he was acting so crazy last night I did like others suggested and didn't let him stand still if he stopped. I told him that if you want to run and act crazy then get with the program! I'm glad to hear that others have done the same thing. I would never put him in danger or let him get too hot.
Thank you all once again. You have put my worries to rest with your posts.
Leaving a halter on him is not an option for me. If he would have had a halter on last night it would have done no good. I couldn't even get close enough to grab it if it was on him. I used to put his halter on when I let him out into the yard for the day but realized that is not a very good idea so I no longer do that. I do catch him every morning and put his halter on first thing. I then work with him for a while on a lead rope. After our little session I remove his halter and turn him loose.
When he was acting so crazy last night I did like others suggested and didn't let him stand still if he stopped. I told him that if you want to run and act crazy then get with the program! I'm glad to hear that others have done the same thing. I would never put him in danger or let him get too hot.
Thank you all once again. You have put my worries to rest with your posts.
